Play clearly demonstrates free will - Atheist Nexus2018-03-20T02:42:56Zhttp://atheistnexus.org/forum/topics/play-clearly-demonstrates-free-will?groupUrl=freewillanintelligentchoice&feed=yes&xn_auth=noHard determinists will (wrong…tag:atheistnexus.org,2013-07-25:2182797:Comment:22755732013-07-25T06:49:18.363ZAtheist Exilehttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/AtheistExile
<p>Hard determinists will (wrongly) claim that if something serves a purpose, there is a reason (cause) and is thus deterministic. Play, for instance, could be (and probably is) instinctive in immature mammals and is thus a genetically preprogrammed activity; causally deterministic. The problem with this is that, while play may be an instinctive impulse in the young, that doesn't mean it can't also be engaged in voluntarily -- much the same way that sex is an instinctive impulse but can also be…</p>
<p>Hard determinists will (wrongly) claim that if something serves a purpose, there is a reason (cause) and is thus deterministic. Play, for instance, could be (and probably is) instinctive in immature mammals and is thus a genetically preprogrammed activity; causally deterministic. The problem with this is that, while play may be an instinctive impulse in the young, that doesn't mean it can't also be engaged in voluntarily -- much the same way that sex is an instinctive impulse but can also be engaged in voluntarily. Such tendencies, to simplify by claiming one cause or kind is the only possible cause or kind, seems to surface a lot with hard determinists. They apparently like neat packages. And false dichotomies.</p>
<p>One reason hard determinists manufacture false dichotomies is because they fail to recognize causal distinctions between inanimate objects and (intelligent) animate beings. Inanimate objects can be analyzed and understood through their physical properties. They are amenable to material reductionism. They can be broken down to their elements and compounds which, in turn, can be reliably recombined to produce specific results or products. Although animate beings are also physical entities, they are of a different category: they're biological beings. They are not amenable to material reductionsim because, unlike inanimate objects, they DO things. Not only do they do things . . . their constituent parts also do things: like replicate, respirate, digest, communicate, defend themselves, etc. Inanimate objects exist. Animate beings live. It's the difference between linear causality and reciprocal causality.</p>
<p>By applying the physics of the inanimate realm to the biology of the animate realm, hard determinists are completely missing the mark. The differences are so obvious that I can only surmise they ignore them out of sheer dogmatic stubbornness.</p>
<p>Once you acknowledge the differences, you can then see the potentials offered by biology: potentials from evolution, emergent phenomena, feedback systems, etc. that involve interaction (not mere physical reaction) with causality: reciprocal causation instead of mere linear causation.</p>
<p>Animate beings are agents. They DO things. They evolve specialties: abilities and competencies that enable them to survive and reproduce. And it's all about causality -- abilities and competencies evolve to interact with causality. The reason for this is that causality is consistent and persistent. It provides something we can count on not changing, ever.</p>
<p>Causality, cause and effect: it's binary. It doesn't get much simpler. Causality is the 'machine language' of physical laws. If you want to interact with the world, you have to speak the language. Mother nature is fluent in causality. The biological dialect of causality is evolution. All of life is evolved to interact with causality. <span style="font-size: 13px;">Humans are the evolutionary pinnacle of life on Earth in terms of our expertise with causality.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">Free will? Not a big deal for us. We routinely manipulate events and stamp our own intents on the future. It's part of our human intelligence . . . part of what makes us human.</span></p> Okay, I found out why I'm not…tag:atheistnexus.org,2013-07-25:2182797:Comment:22753092013-07-25T04:27:03.675ZAtheist Exilehttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/AtheistExile
<p>Okay, I found out why I'm not getting notifications of new comments and have corrected the situation. I'll be responding more promptly in the future.</p>
<p>Now . . . let me read this post and mull it over . . . </p>
<p>Okay, I found out why I'm not getting notifications of new comments and have corrected the situation. I'll be responding more promptly in the future.</p>
<p>Now . . . let me read this post and mull it over . . . </p>